Major works start at key city intersection

Major works to improve the safety and traffic flow at one of Hamilton's busiest intersections, Te Aroha Street/Peachgrove Road/Ruakura Road, get underway this week.

The work, which is the next phase of the city's $84 million Ring Road project, is expected to run through to the middle of the year. It has been scheduled to start in early January to take advantage of the quieter holiday period before schools in the area resume.

The intersection is one of the city's busiest with more than 40,000 vehicle movements a day and is also among the city's top five intersections for crashes. Improvements at the intersection will include:

- making the intersection larger

- creating a right turning lane from Peachgrove Rd into Ruakura Rd

- additional free left turns

- improved pedestrian islands and signalised crossing points

- cycle lanes

These and other improvements will allow for increased traffic flows, both now and into the future, and will also have a strong emphasis on pedestrian and cyclist needs.

Initial works will see the relocation of major underground services, with the actual intersection upgrade to follow. While the most disruptive work is planned for outside of peak traffic times, some delays are unavoidable.

Motorists are advised to avoid the works where possible, with the Wairere Drive/Ruakura Road intersection opening in late January, offering many road users an alternate route.

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Commenting, City Development Acting Unit Manager Martin Mould said: "This is one of the city's busiest intersections, and we are doing major work at it, so motorists and other road users should expect delays from time to time.

"Our contractor Downer will be working to minimise these disruptions, and we apologise in advance for these, and thank people for their patience and cooperation as work is done to make significant improvements to this key city intersection.

"We're confident that once this intersection is completed, along with the opening of the Wairere Drive to Ruakura Road section of the Ring Road, that motorists and other travellers will see huge improvements to how they get around in the eastern part of our city."

For regular updates on this work and the rest of the Ring Road project visit www.facebook.com/HamiltonRingRoad